Chapter 6 - The Daughter Thomas Sterling Never Stopped Protecting
The medical unit transported Clara to a private hospital under state security.
Thomas rode beside her.
He held her hand while doctors examined her and monitored the baby’s heartbeat.
For forty minutes, neither of them spoke about Mark.
They listened to the steady rhythm from the monitor.
At last, the doctor entered with a reassuring expression.
“The baby’s heartbeat is strong. Clara has bruising and muscle strain, but we are not seeing signs of early labor. We want to observe her overnight.”
Thomas lowered his head and released a breath.
Clara began crying.
Not because of the pain.
Because the baby was safe.
Thomas pulled his chair closer.
“You do not have to go back to him.”
“I know.”
“You never had to.”
“I know that now.”
Clara looked at the man the public knew as a disciplined, commanding governor. To her, he was simply the father who had burned pancakes every Sunday after her mother became ill because he refused to let the household staff replace their family breakfast.
“I should have told Mark who you were,” she whispered.
“No.”
“He might have treated me differently.”
“That is exactly why you were right not to tell him.”
Clara looked toward the monitor.
Thomas continued.
“You wanted to be loved as Clara, not as Governor Sterling’s daughter. That was not wrong.”
“I hid part of my life.”
“You protected part of your life.”
“I let him believe you were an ordinary public employee.”
“I am a public employee.”
Despite everything, Clara gave a weak laugh.
Then her expression became serious again.
“I thought he loved me when I had nothing.”
Thomas shook his head.
“You never had nothing. Even without my name, you had intelligence, courage, compassion, and integrity. He simply failed to value anything that could not increase his status.”
Clara wiped her face.
“Why did you arrive through the public entrance?”
Thomas leaned back.
“I was supposed to enter through the security corridor. Then one of my agents reported shouting near the ballroom. I heard glass break.”
“You saw him push me.”
“Yes.”
His voice became quiet.
“I also saw him look at you afterward.”
Clara understood.
The shove had been terrible, but the expression that followed was worse.
Mark had not been shocked by what he had done.
He had been annoyed that Clara had fallen publicly.
A security agent knocked and entered the room.
“Governor, Mr. Bennett is downstairs. He is requesting permission to see his wife.”
Clara’s body tightened.
Thomas looked at her.
“This is your decision.”
She thought of the bookstore, the park, their small wedding, the hospital after their first loss, and the man who had once promised to protect her.
Then she remembered his words in the corridor.
I leave her.
What about the baby?
I will provide whatever the court requires.
“No,” Clara said.
The agent nodded.
“He also claims he did not know you were related to the governor.”
Clara looked directly at the agent.
“Tell him that has nothing to do with why he is not allowed inside.”
After the door closed, Thomas took out his phone.
“The video from the ballroom is already spreading.”
“Can you stop it?”
“I could ask platforms to respect your medical privacy. But the incident happened in a room filled with cameras. We cannot erase what people saw.”
May you like
Clara looked toward the blue folder resting inside the bag her security contact had recovered from the gala.
“Then they should see the rest too.”
